No. 17 Bombers Power Past Rochester in Season Opener

ITHACA, N.Y. – 17th-ranked Ithaca (1-0) opened their season with an 18-5 rout of visiting Rochester (0-1) on Wednesday at Higgins Stadium.

Senior Tracy Rivas (East Meadow, N.Y./East Meadow) scored a career-high nine points on four goals and a career-best five assists to lead the Bombers to their third straight season-opening victory and their fourth consecutive win over the Yellowjackets.

Ithaca, who led by a score of 12-3 at intermission, outshot Rochester 32-15 and held a 16-11 gap in ground balls.

The Bombers netted the first of the game before Rochester rattled off three straight for a 3-1 edge at 24:05. Ithaca scored 11 unanswered for a nine-goal advantage at the break. Ithaca added two to start the second before Rochester got on the board again for a 14-4 margin. Four Bomber goals found the back of the net before the Yellowjackets concluded all scoring with 55 seconds lingering in action.

Senior Nikki Dahl (Columbus, Ohio/The Wellington School) was one of four Bombers to score a pair of goals each, chipping in five points. She had a career-high three assists. Seniors Sam Whitney (Rye, N.H./Portsmouth), Michelle Avery (Norwalk, Conn./Brien McMahon) and freshman Allison Runyon (Fairport, N.Y./Fairport) each added two scores.